In the area of skateboarding, skateboarders have traditionally had to turn to snowboards to have similar recreation in the snowy weather. Snowboarding, however, varies in many significant ways from skateboarding. The most obvious difference is the fact that a snowboarder's feet are bound and attached through boots to the snowboard, whereas, on a skateboard, the rider's feet are merely placed on top of the deck of the skateboard and are easily freed from the board to perform tricks and to discontinue the use of the board. Another significant difference is the feel and handling of the snowboard compared to a skateboard due to the fact that the skateboard has wheels and a truck between the deck and the ground that allows for steering and control while a snowboard's deck comes in direct contact with the ground. The locked-in feet and lack of suspension/steering ability make snowboarding a related, but different skill than skateboarding. Another feature of snowboarding and skiing is that both are edging devices. The instant invention, on the other hand, provides a turning/steering ability rather than an edging ability.
There have been devices known in the prior art that purport to combine skateboarding and snow recreation. However, none of the previous inventions have been able to offer the same suspension/steering or truck turning ability found on skateboards that are required to perform skateboard tricks. Chou in U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,725 teaches of a skateboard that attaches to one traditional ski. This invention does not have any spring suspension/steering ability, however. Differing from the instant invention, this device involves a single ski with no independent truck-turning ability. Similarly, Dotson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,455 involves a skateboard platform combined with removable ski shoes. No spring suspension/steering ability is included in this invention and therefore, most, if not all, skateboard tricks are not achievable on this device. This invention defines a board with only two skis, therefore there is no independent suspension and the define ski does not have the rocker provided in the instant invention.
Hirbod in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,319 discloses a self-propelled skateboard with improved suspension capabilities. However, this invention is very complex, contains footpads and mechanisms for use with the hands. Therefore, a need exists for a simple skateboard/ski combination, without foot bindings, that can be used on snow and that has the same suspension/steering abilities that a skateboard does on pavement.